#buildingjerusalem.blog

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The temptation for a quiet life

Every now and then, every pastor will feel the temptation to just let people do whatever they want. To teach what they know people want to hear. To setup the church in a way that people can, effect…

by Stephen Kneale | As tempting as it is to just say “do whatever you want”, we are not serving another person’s good by doing that. If someone is deviating from God’s Word, if someone is moving away from the commands of Christ – whatever they may be – we serve their interests best by calling them back to faithfulness...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Enjoying what is good in the world and not underestimating the power of the Holy Spirit

It’s not at all uncommon to hear about bit of Christian handwringing about the world. How will our kids manage to live as we send them to school? How will they cope with all the worldliness a…

by Stephen Kneale | Clearly there is much good in the world. Clearly there is much to be enjoyed. It is not worldliness to enjoy things in the world. If it causes us to give thanks to God and to love Jesus more, and it is not causing us to sin, have at it. Often the views and...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Why does the sovereignty of God matter?

by Stephen Kneale | “Sovereignty characterizes the whole Being of God. He is sovereign in all His attributes. He is sovereign in the exercise of His power. His power is exercised as He wills, when He wills, where He wills. This fact is evidenced on every page of Scripture. For a long season that power appears to be dormant...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

God doesn’t make mistakes. But we rarely answer the point, and often open the door to heresy, when we say it

Yesterday, I took a swipe at the test of time argument. I don’t think we should use it. In my view, it isn’t a fair and proper test. Indeed, it proves very little if anything. It is a m…

by Stephen Kneale | The effects of sin in the world are not mistakes on God’s part, but means by which his glory will one day be fully displayed either in the salvation of some from their sin or the pouring out of his righteous wrath against unrepentant sin. That lack of mistake on God’s part, does nothing of...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The results are up to the Lord

We all know that the results in ministry aren’t up to us. You do know that, right? My working theory is that enough of us didn’t know this, or acted as though we didn’t know this,…

by Stephen Kneale | We are not called to produce a certain yield, we are called to be faithful. The results, in the end, are his alone. And we can be happy with that because it frees us from the tyranny of thinking they rest upon us. We all know that the results in ministry aren’t up to us. You do know that, right? My working theory is that enough of us didn’t know this, or acted as though we didn’t know this, that the Lord brought covid to us so that he could show us in no uncertain terms how little he needs us...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Four ways to help your children love the church more

by Stephen Kneale | A common cry of anguish in churches is about keeping children and youth in the church. Why don’t they want to stay? Why have they drifted off? I have written before about the number one reason young people don’t stick around...